For Science
by P-bodylover100
Summary: A month after the events of "A World Beyond the Hub", Kronos is finally ready for his first test. Will he succeed? Will he fail? What will GLaDOS think of his relationship with Katie? oneshot. contains OCxOC fluffiness. Please R&R.


**A/N: Okay, I know you guys have wanted a sequel to "A World Beyond the Hub", but there's very little chance of that happening. I have school, and it often gets in the way of what I enjoy doing. XP So I did my best to put together a large oneshot for you.**

**Special Thanks to Wolf-Shadow77 for letting me use her Portal 2 OC, Katie. AND her humanized version of GLaDOS. ^^**

* * *

The sun was shining brightly, a vast wheat field blew with the wind, making the untouched stalks flow like ocean waves. It was completely and utterly peaceful.

But what was underneath held a very different story. Deep below the Earth's crust, deep in the labyrinth of Aperture. There were three bots, a little girl, and an all-powerful woman at its center. Things were the exact opposite of peaceful at the moment.

_"B-but I don't think he's ready to do it on his own." _P-body stammered,_ "I mean, sure he's watched us testing a lot. A-and he's been taught everything he needs to know...but..."_

Atlas released a mechanical sigh, _"C'mon, P-body. How will you know if he's ready if you don't give him a chance?"_

She fell silent. Every circuit of her being told her it was a bad idea, that letting their son test on his own for the first time would end in death.

She still remembered that day as if it were yesterday. The day she had been holding the little bot as his life literally drained out of him. Even though that day had been nearly a month ago, it still haunted her. And she feared that her worst nightmare was about to come true again.

_"But...he..."_ P-body struggled to find the right words.

Atlas looked up at her understandingly, _"He'll he alright. He has his own reassembly machine now, remember?"_

P-body's trigger finger began twitching even though she wasn't holding her portal gun at the moment, _"But what if it jams up? Don't you remember the time OUR chambers stopped working?"_

_"Yes, but don't you think GLaDOS will make sure it doesn't happen? I mean, it IS his first time."_ Atlas held his partner's hand, squeezing it gently, _"Besides, it's not like he's going to be careless."_

_"Y-you're right...I need to have some faith in him."_

* * *

"Your mom is really worried about you, Kronos." Katie said glancing over from the screen showing a view of the Hub.

_"Well...to be honest, I'm not so sure about it either."_ The little green-eyed bot replied in his garbled robot speak.

"Why is that?" Katie tilted her head curiously.

Kronos glanced around the room. Katie stood next to him while he was in the middle of a modification. His backside had been opened up so changes could be made on his internal workings without him having to be dismantled. Several cords were connected to his body, and he was paralyzed to avoid unnecessary movement. Leaving him dangling by the cords a few inches above the floor.

GLaDOS was busy at work, controling everything inside the small bot. She sat in her large mechanical "throne" that hung from the ceiling of her chamber, strewn with modems, computers, wires, and buttons.

_"I'm not sure. Whenever I think about it, I start to get all...I dunno...twitchy." _Kronos answered.

Katie smiled at the similarity between him and his mother, "That probably means you're nervous. Just don't worry about it. You've watched your mom and dad solve plenty of tests. You should be excited to get to try it out on your own! You're even getting your own portal gun!"

Kronos's optic lit up, _"I'm getting my own gun?"_

"Yes." GLaDOS interrupted, looking up from her screen. "I'm going to remind you that they are not inexpensive to make. So if you manage to break it, I'm using parts from your body to fix it."

"Mom, he's already nervous about it. Don't make it worse." Katie sighed.

"That's good. Subjects under stress usually have better...results." She drawled over the last part of her scentance. Kronos would have shivered, had he not been paralyzed at the moment. Katie, however, was used to it.

Kronos suddenly felt several cords pull out of his back, and he dropped down to the floor just beneath him. It took a moment for Kronos to regain feeling in his legs and stand up, and even then he still felt strange.

"Alright, now if you should happen to die, your reassembly machine will automatically rebuild you." GLaDOS explained, turning to a nearby monitor.

_***Beep!***_

Kronos heard the sound come from behind him, and circled around to try and find what made it.

Katie giggled, "Kronos, that was you, Your antenna is lit."

Curious to see if it was true, Kronos grabbed hold of his antenna and bent it down to look. It was true. The tip of his antenna was glowing a bright green.

GLaDOS batted his hand with of her grabbing claws. "Stop folling around with it." she said sternly.

Not wanting to anger his creator, he let go of his antenna. With a "twang" noise, his antenna flicked back up and wagged from side to side above his head, sending a strong prickling sensation through his body. Taken by surprise, Kronos giggled trembled a little at the feeling.

Katie raised an eyebrow, "What was that?"

Kronos recovered from the strange feeling that came over him, _"I dunno, that felt weird."_

"I'm not surprised. That antenna is the most sensitive part of your body." GLaDOS explained flatly.

"Most sensitive part? So, in other words, he's ticklish there?" Katie said, eyeing her robotic friend.

GLaDOS heaved a mechanical sigh, "I suppose you could look at it that way."

Katie's face lit up with a mischevious grin. Kronos looked at her a little uneasily.

_"Uh...Katie? What are you-?"_

**_*Twang!*_**

He was cut off by Katie pulling his antenna back and then letting go. Kronos felt the prickly sensation spread through him. He shut his optic tight and shivered, letting out a small beep.

Katie giggled, watching his reaction was the best part.

Kronos recovered and looked back at the turret, _"You don't have to-*******twang!*** Ah! Okay, that's en-*******twang!*** AHahaha! Stop, please!"_

Katie joined in his laugher as she watched him squirm and clutch his core. GLaDOS uttered an annoyed huff, but she couldn't help the little bit of amusement at her daughter's actions.

When Kronos's writhing finally ceased, he looked over at Katie. He just knew she was going to use that to her advantage in the future just by looking at the smile on her face.

"Now if you two are quite finished..." GLaDOS said, pushing a button on her armrest.

A panel rose up from beneath the floor, and on a pedastal was a portal gun with green stripes. Kronos's optic widened in awe, walking towards it as though hypnotized. He reached out and took hold of the somehow familiar object, feeling as though it were a part of himself, an extension of his body. Staring down at the device, Kronos held the grip firmly while his left hand supported under the barrel. It was heavy, but fit comfortably in his hands, unlike the first time he held one.

He remembered the first time he ever held the ASHPD. He had no idea how to grip it properly let alone fire it, but that had never been Atlas's intention. His father had merely been content to let his son curiosity, allowing him to get a feel for the device. But that seemed like ages ago.

Kronos walked across the room to a white portalable surface and positioned himself as he had seen his mother and father do so many times before. Raising the gun, he aimed and tried to steady his shaking hands. Placing a finger on the primary trigger, Kronos squeezed it hesitantly as he waited for the gun to go off. The loud whoosh of the gun firing and the jolt back due to recoil made Kronos beep in fright and drop the gun.

"You did it Kronos! You shot your first portal!" Katie said happily. GLaDOS simply rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair.

Kronos picked up the gun and looked over at the wall he had fired at. Covering the white surface was a large, green portal. Astonished, Kronos walked up to it and reached out his hand, but was disappointed when his hand met a solid surface. _"Why can't I go through?"_ he asked.

GLaDOS raised an eyebrow at him, "You know you haven't placed a second portal yet, right?"

Kronos glanced back down at the gun in his hands almost reluctantly, _"Oh, r-right..."_

A panel flipped over, allowing a second white surface in which to place his second portal. Kronos held his gun more firmly this time, aiming, and squeezing the secondary trigger. He jolted as the gun went off. But he was more prepared this time, and he kept his grip firm. A second, lighter green portal glowed beside the darker green one, and then they both opened. One mirrored his image, the other Katie's.

"You did it, Kronos!" Katie ran through his portals, and hugged him.

Kronos smiled and returned the hug, always accepting the fluttery feeling that came along with it, _"I have my own portal gun now!"_

He looked at the gun in his hands, the pupil in his optic widening. Tentatively, he put his hand up to the portal, letting out a small beep as his arm passed gently through it. The field gave a quiet warble as it was disrupted, sending small electric charges through his body. Cautiously, slowly, he walked through it until he was safely on the other side. A small shudder coursed through his body as happy and positive responses were activated as a result of him doing what he was programed to do.

It felt amazing.

His motor started to race, and he found himself subconsciously turning around just for another opportunity to pass through the portal. He grinned as he stepped through it, feeling the electricity crackle through his body. It was _liberating. _He gave a warble of joy, feeling something inside him flutter. Turning back around, he jumped through, flying through it and feeling the wisp of energy breeze through him.

He suddenly felt a light tap on his core, "You having fun there?"

Kronos came out of his trance and looked over at Katie. He felt his system coolant rushing to his core. _"Oh...uh...heh."_ He played a sound of a person clearing their throat, _"So...what now?"_

"Now, you go back to the Hub while I begin working on your first test." GLaDOS said, picking Kronos up with a claw, and plopping him down in a disassembly chamber.

_"W-wait!" _Before Kronos could say any more, the glass doors to the chamber slid closed. Kronos felt his portal gun get pulled from his grasp, then several robotic arms stapped to his body and held him still as parts of him began to get removed until he was just down to his core. Then he was pulled into a dark tube.

As soon as he left, Katie turned to her mother. "Can I be in the test? Pleeeease?"

GLaDOS hesitated a moment, "No, sweetie. I'm not even certain if I'm going to put turrets in this test."

"Aww mom, can't I be in it? Pleeeeeeease?" Katie begged.

"No. You know why I'm not assigning any turrets to Green's test." GLaDOS said as she began to create her new test chamber.

"Why? Because we're friends?"

"Exactly."

"What's wrong with that?"

GLaDOS paused, not exactly sure how to go about answering the turret's question. She knew she had nothing to worry about. They were just kids. And she also made sure to not give Kronos the ability to transfer data. But she looked down at the little turret, her eyes so full of innocence. She didn't want to let her go just yet.

GLaDOS tore her gaze away and kept her eyes on her computer. "You said yourself he gets to do it on his own. That means he doesn't get any help from you."

"Oh...well, okay." Katie said reluctantly.

GLaDOS hid her relief behind her concentrated look, "Now please, let me work."

For a moment, all was silent, except for the ambient noises of the facility.

Then out of nowhere, GLaDOS had an idea, "Actually..."

* * *

Kronos stood at the door, holding his portal gun close as GLaDOS's monotone voice drawled on about the hazards of the ASHPD and the test chamber. He felt himself shaking nervously. He didn't know what She had in store for him. It could be all just a trap to get him to think he was ready, but then kill him just to prove a point.

Kronos didn't want to die. Not again. He remembered the day he had been injured. The rupture in his core was causing him to leak oil. Slowly, drop by drop, his mother's image faded from him. He still remembered her pleas.

"It's okay, Kronos, you're okay. Mommy's here, mommy's going to make everything better, I promise. I need you to stay awake. I need to see your bright, shining little eye. I need you to stay awake and tell me you're alive, Kronos. I need you, Atlas needs you...PLEASE..." He remembered her sobs.

Kronos's 'heart' felt heavy at remembering the day of his death. It gave him nightmares, he dreamt of the same events happening again. He was bled dry of oil, and his life slipped out of his grasp like grains of sand.

**_*Beep*_**

Kronos snapped out of his trance as he heard the intercom turn off. The doors opened before him, and he saw his first test before him. He peeked out of the safe area, checking the area for any kind of danger. Just as his mother did whenever he tagged along. After he was satisfied that it was safe, he took a few steps out and surveyed his surroundings.

The room was very large and had a pool of murky liquid in the middle of it. Inside were many of the familiar testing...things. Like those swirling tubes, bouncy pads, and laser beams.

Kronos stopped for a moment, trying to think of what to do first. On the other side of the pool of goo, there was a cube. Aha! He could use the swirling tube to get across. Kronos placed his portals according to the direction he wanted to go and cautiously stepped inside. The current current lifted him off his feet and carried him across.

So far so good...I guess, Kronos thought.

He exited the funnel and found the cube, picking it up with the ASHPD's tractor beam, and heading into a seperate room.

"There you are..."

Kronos froze for a moment, then spun around to see Katie pointing one of her guns right at him. Out of pure shock, Kronos just stood there.

She grimaced, "Sorry about this."

_"WAIT-!" _Kronos managed to blurt out.

**_*BANG!*_**

Kronos's world went dark instantly, and then flooded with light just as quickly. He was quickly reassembled and dropped back into the test chamber, but he just stood there, stunned. He did NOT see that coming. _ "She...she killed me! Why!? I...I thought we were friends..." _He said to himself.

Meanwhile, Katie looked down at his dead body, instantly regretting what she had just done. She knelt by Kronos's empty chassis and brushed her free hand over the bullet hole she made in his head. She sure hoped Kronos would be able to forgive her.

"That's my girl." GLaDOS said softly.

"Why would you make me do this?" Katie looked up at a camera mounted on the wall. Her eyes were filled with sorrow.

GLaDOS was taken aback by this, "He's just another test subject, sweetie. Except he comes back."

"I wanted to be in his test to PREVENT his death! Not cause it!" Katie began to raise her voice.

"Katie. It's your job to cause death. It's what you were made for." GLaDOS said, trying to keep her tone stern, but not angry.

"Fine, but I don't want to kill my best friend!"

"Katie, you're a human turret. He's a mechanical test subject. Do you see why the two don't go together?"

"I'm going to apologize to him." Katie stood up.

"No. You come back to my chamber." GLaDOS said sternly.

Katie ignored her and took off running to the reassembly chambers.

"KATIE!"

Immediately, Katie could feel the facility rumble under her feet. Panels began to drop around her and claws lunged out to try and grab her. There was no going back now. She dodged as best as she could until she reached the pool of deadly goo. She waved her arms to balance herself and avoid falling in, then took a step back only to be snagged on the hood by a claw.

"Hey hey hey! Put me down!" Katie yelled.

Just then she saw Kronos on the other side. He aimed his gun and fired a portal behind her, then a second one beside him. He leaned out of the portal and reached out his hand to her. Katie stretched as far as she could, their fingertips barely touching.

"It's too far!" Katie shouted helplessly, as her mother's claw slowly pulled her farther away.

Kronos leaned back out of his portal, and fired one just beneath her instead. Katie knew exactly what to do. She pulled out a gun, and shot the hinge for the claw, breaking it. She pulled the claw open, dropping herself through Kronos's portals and landing on the other side of the deadly goo pit and next to Kronos. She scrambled to her feet, grabbing Kronos's arm and pulling him.

"RUN!" she yelled as another claw lunged for them.

Kronos didn't have to be told twice, he was sprinting alongside Katie and heading for the safe room where he was rebuilt. After what seemed like ages, but was really a few seconds, they reached the safe room and backed into the farthest corner from the entrance. Kronos and Katie both screamed in terror as Her claws were closing in on them. Then suddenly, they pulled taught merely inches away. The two sighed in relief as the claws retracted.

**"You are is SO much trouble, young lady! You'd better hope I don't catch you!" **GLaDOS's voice was dripping with venom.

And then there was silence, the only sound from Katie's heavy breathing. The two kids glanced at each other.

_"What did you DO?" _Kronos asked incredulously.

"Well...I...disobeyed her..." Katie bit her lip nervously.

_"YOU DID WHAT!?"_ Kronos's optic shrank in fear.

Katie reached out and held his hand. "Hey, I had a good reason... I wanted to apologize for shooting you..."

Kronos was silent for a moment, _"It's okay..."_

She looked up at him in surprise, "Really? How can you forgive me so easily? I thought you'd hate me after killing you..."

_"What? I'd never hate you! You're my best friend!"_

Katie smiled, "Thanks...you too."

_"But y-you didn't have to go and disobey GLaDOS like that! I mean, as soon as we go out there, we're both dead! What'll she do to us!? W-what if she sends us to Android He-!"_

Kronos was abruptly silenced by Katie grabbing his frame, leaning over, and pressing her lips against the space just below his optic. His pupil widened in shock, and his antenna instantly lit up and glowed brightly. Then he closed his optic, fearing the light would hurt her eyes.

For the few seconds her warmth made contact with his core, he felt a strong surge course through his circuts at a rapid pace. It felt like a portal.

He felt her draw back, and Kronos opened his optic to stare back at her. Too stunned to think straight.

_"That w-was a r-really nice way to tell me t-to shut up..."_ Kronos stammered.

Katie giggled, her face turning a shade of red. Kronos felt his core heating up, despite the coolant trying to prevent it. She pulled herself closer to hug him, and he returned the gesture.

"GLaDOS can do what she wants to us, but she can never separate us." Katie whispered.

_"Yeah..."_ Kronos sighed dreamily, enjoying the feeling of her human warmth.

Katie smiled and snuggled closer to him, enjoying the little time she had left before the lecture.


End file.
